AZ Living

Making sense of Medicare

Counselors can help you make informed decisions about coverage

Wilma Morgan is tucked into a corner room at the Devonshire Senior Center in east Phoenix waiting for someone to drop by and chat about Medicare.

At the ready is a red plastic crate crammed with informational handouts and papers she uses to help people understand their benefits and how to apply. Every third Wednesday of the month, she's at the center, volunteering as part of the Area Agency on Aging Region One and State Health Insurance Assistance Program's free Benefits Assistance Program.

Morgan will start coming more often this month, what with the kickoff of Medicare's open enrollment, which this year runs Oct. 15-Dec. 7. She visits one-on-one with people, offering them a smile and assurance as she digs through her files to find just the right form, just the right booklet.

"Some people don't know what they need," Morgan said. "They don't know the difference between the parts of Medicare. They don't understand between the HMOs and the private insurance companies."

Some question why they need to have coverage for prescriptions. "They may be healthy now and think they won't get sick," she said. Though she's not out to persuade them they need coverage, Morgan just wants to make sure they think about how their health may change.

Average basic premiums for Medicare drug plans are projected to remain constant next year, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced last month. For basic Medicare prescription-drug coverage, the average 2013 monthly premium is expected to be $30; average premiums this year have been $29.67.

But a recent report by Avalere Health, a research and consulting company, urges people to comparison-shop to ensure they get the best deal. Some plans will have double-digit premium increases in 2013. Others will see a minimal increase, Avalere reported, including AARP MedicareRx Preferred, which will have only a 1 percent monthly increase, from $39.85 to $40.42.

To navigate the changes, Morgan urges people to read the booklet "Medicare & You," an annual publication put out by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The 2013 booklet is available online at www.medicare.gov; search for "Medicare & You."

Medicare changes to note for 2013:

Expanded coverage, including depression screenings, screenings and counseling for alcohol misuse and obesity and behavioral therapy for cardiovascular disease.

Glen Spencer, benefits assistance program director for the Area Agency on Aging, also helps people with their medical-coverage questions.

"The person at age 65 has many, many options, and we counsel individuals," he said. "It has to be on a one-on-one basis. There may be other health insurance to consider, retirement insurance or group insurance. They may be low-income and can't afford a Medicare supplement. They may be high-income and hate HMOs, so we have to discern the different benefits and what's going on with them medically. We get nosy. If someone has an extreme medical condition, our recommendations may be different. This (review) can take hours."

Spencer said the 100 or so volunteers pride themselves on explaining the benefits and empowering people to make informed choices.

Seventy percent of the counseling is done over the phone, he said. Counselors will guide someone on the appropriate place to look for help online.

"This whole perception that older people are not technologically savvy is a fallacy," he said.

Wilma Morgan helps people understand the different aspects of Medicare at Devonshire Senior Center in Phoenix.

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More on this topic

Today's story is the seventh in an eight-part series on issues facing Baby Boomers, whether retirement is two years or two decades away.

Find the coming weeks' installments in the Your Money section of The Arizona Republic and the whole series at boomers.azcentral.com, along with online checklists, resources and videos of our Boomer trio, three Valley residents who share their concerns on each of these topics.

Sept. 9: The "sandwich generation": Advice and support resources for Boomers caring both for parents and children.

Sept. 10: Planning for retirement and what you need to be doing in your 40s, 50s and 60s.

Sept. 17: Health screenings to do now to help prevent diseases later.

Sept. 24: Social Security how-to.

Oct. 1: Medicare how-to.

Oct. 8: Housing - how to adapt your home.

Oct. 15: Legal documents - what you need and how to set them up.

Oct. 22: Mind and soul - keeping the mind active and engaged in the world through volunteering, classes and even a career change.